I know, I know – emails are the bane of your life, but did you know it’s one of the highest converting channels?! Why? You’re talking directly to an interested audience, and you can be really targeted (more on that later).
If you’ve ever wondered why your emails just aren’t converting, why your CTR and open rates look so rubbish then the time is NOW to pay attention. You’re (pretty) sure you’re doing everything right so why do you feel like no one is *actually* reading your content? Here are 5 compelling reasons why your emails aren’t converting and how it can really pay off investing with someone who knows how to write them…
ONE | YOU’RE NOT CONSISTENT.
It’s at the end of a long list, I get it, but sending an email here and there and then asking yourself “Why is no one clicking?” is pretty backwards. The reason why is they don’t know who you are…
Consistency is king. Remember that age old rule about it takes [insert rapidly changing number depending on who you speak to] number of times to show up to people before they act? SPOILER: it’s actually true. Sending a weekly email to your list is great (as is every few days) but one big caveat to success is NOT to bombard your list. I know it’s tempting to throw everything and the kitchen sink at your latest sale or launch venture but showing up daily in someone’s inbox after a long leave of absence is the fastest way to an ‘unsubscribe’. A top tip is to get organised. Create a content calendar and list out the emails you want to send and when, then stick to it.
TWO | YOU’RE NOT SEGMENTING YOUR LIST.
How you talk to people is as important as WHO you’re talking to. Are you sending the same emails to your regular customers as well as trying to entice new ones into purchasing?! I appreciate it’s another layer of admin to consider sending weekly emails to (sometimes multiple) different lists but its key in truly connecting with the right people. People buy from brands who ‘get them’ so your approach needs to be as individual as possible. There are multiple different ways you can segment your list from gender, previous purchase, those only interested in blog content, those only interested in discount codes – the list goes on. If you’re sitting thinking – my email provider doesn’t seem to let me create multiple lists – get rid of it and select one that does.
THREE | YOUR LAYOUT IS HECTIC.
No one wants to open an email and have their eyes hurt from just looking at for 5 seconds. Whilst design can be beautiful there is no need to go overboard. Sleek and simple aesthetics are proven to drive results, so keep it simple. Adopt a nice vertical layout that extends the look and feel of your brand. Your website, social media and email marketing should all have a seamless ‘look’ to establish familiarity and build trust. One last thing, make sure it looks compelling in both desktop and mobile formats.
FOUR | YOU DON'T 'GET' YOUR DATA.
Read. Your. Analytics! The problem a lot of people have is that they don’t read the data or analytics from their emails. Use the data to see where the users are clicking if they even are. Maybe you need to move content around to optimize those CTR numbers. Perhaps sending emails in the afternoon gets more clicks then sending emails at midnight because you want your email to be the first thing your client sees in the morning? Data and analytics can be a great insight into why your emails aren’t converting. Once again if your email provider doesn’t give this to you – find one that does.
FIVE | IT’S YOUR CONTENT.
The big one…
From the subject line to the actual copy, needs to have some added ‘zinginess’ without it nothing works. The subject line is the first thing people see and if you’re just going to write, “Sale” as your headline, why even bother writing the rest? You have one chance to get someone to open your email based on your subject line. And from the moment they open your email if your content is not compelling, you can kiss that potential sale goodbye.
Is the content you’re creating actually valuable to those you’re sending to?! If you’re not drawing the attention from the reader from the subject line to the sub-heading to the copy all the way down to the button or link they need to click, then you’ve lost them.
Remember consistency? Variety is its partner in crime - don’t repeat yourself with each email. No one wants to see the same content over and over, it needs to be vibrant, fresh and most importantly - new!
My top tip? Reach out to a professional who does this for a living day in day out and save your to do list a workout in the process. Imagine sending over your content list at the start of each month and having those emails written for you…
The dream, am I right?
Charlotte x